Rob Hudson and Azure Cygler will lead a new advanced aquaculture training course at URI.
Rhode Island’s aquaculture industry provides over $6M annually in farm-gate value and employs nearly 400 people. Aquaculture is one of the state’s priority areas for economic vitality, but it faces many challenges to its continued growth.
Recent, contentious lease applications for new or expanded farms have struggled to move forward. Farm owners have had difficulty hiring and retaining a skilled workforce. In light of this, aquaculture industry members have requested more advanced training than is currently offered in Rhode Island to ensure they employ best management practices, use more effective communication strategies when engaging with the public, and participate meaningfully in research and outreach.
A proposal for an aquaculture lease in waters off Tiverton prompted a strong community response. Controversies like this are one of the reasons growers are calling for advanced aquaculture training.
Rhode Island Sea Grant has received $234,000 from NOAA Sea Grant to create an advanced training program at the University of Rhode Island that builds on the basic skills taught through Roger Williams University’s Applied Shellfish Farming course that is designed for beginning or aspiring growers. The new URI training will provide growers with an advanced understanding of how to operate a successful aquaculture business, minimize conflicts, and take advantage of state funds and resources. The classes in the training will be taught by experienced aquaculture professionals and will focus on encouraging diverse participation and building a network among growers that continues after the course is completed.
Rhode Island Sea Grant/URI Coastal Resources Center’s fisheries and aquaculture specialists Azure Cygler and Rob Hudson will lead this effort and will partner with Sea Grant programs in Massachusetts and Connecticut, which also offer aquaculture training, to share lessons learned.
This grant is part of an $8.8 million NOAA Sea Grant investment to enhance aquaculture production, capacity, and knowledge sharing. The full list of projects is available here.
Rhode Island Sea Grant is based at the University of Rhode Island and is one of 34 programs in the National Sea Grant College Program working to enhance environmental stewardship and long-term economic development and responsible use of coastal and marine resources.